I'm having a "sad" day

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2004
I'm having a "sad" day
4
Fri, 03-03-2006 - 10:28am

I know I don't post much, but I'm a faithful lurker ;o) BAckground Jack (5) was diagnosed PDD-NOS when he was 2.5, and at last years psychoed. assesment, they thought he was more Aspergers......Dr. Mom (who is also a school psych) sees him more as HFA -- but who am I to say??

Here's my lates rant (cookies for those of you who read it....and yes, I need to do the WW thing too, but let's all take a cookie break ) LOL!

OK, so after a year of having daily notes from Jack's teacher saying
that he's so smart, but there is a screeching problem when he's not involved
in anything (which I thought we curtailed with silent whistles, t.o.'s and
redirection, as well as DUH keeping him busy -- as well as starting therapeutic listening) I had a conversation with his SLP yesterday which implied that he is really almost a
behavior problem?!? Now he's not staying with tasks, not following directions,
starting to spit, screeching, and all the other stuff..... WAH!

We are FINALLY going to start the visual schedule with him (about
time!!) since I told her that social stories are semi-useful at home. I guess
he's really going overboard with self-talk and scripting (all Thomas stuff
which he just got into around Christmas). Now I'm REALLY scared about next
year (his AI consultant agrees with me that he will be in regular kindergarten with a full time aide)!!

His eye contact is minimal in the classroom, but all I get are "what a
great kid" comments from his teacher which is actually starting to tic me
off.....

UGH!

ON a good note, his receptive one word test went up this year to 86 (it
was a 57 last year). His speech is very scripted though, so we need to
really work on improving that......

***I asked her to impliment "Thomas-time" on his visual schedule (loading it -- where this would be the time he could talk about Thomas) and then phase it out....Hopefully, they'll comply. Our teacher conference is next Wed, so I'll take a peek then. GGRRR!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2004
Fri, 03-03-2006 - 1:56pm

Katie,

I'm sorry you're having a sad day! But I can totally relate to that teacher comment! The teachers at our school say, "He's doing awesome! Great day!" I get real ticked off whenever I hear this!!!! Why can't they just be honest? We know our kids!! Just tell us the truth!!!!

And then, what irritates me even more is when I walk by and hear them tell ANOTHER mom the EXACT SAME THING!!!! I mean....REALLY!!!!!! Sorry...that just really gets under my skin!! LOL

If you haven't read my post...I have an IEP coming up, and now I have to inform them that he's not doing so awesome like they keep telling me!!!

Anyway, hang in there!! And here's some cookies!! I won't tell anyone!

michelle

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2004
Fri, 03-03-2006 - 4:26pm

Thanks, Michelle!


I think what killed me the most was the fact that this SLP is constantly raving about his sense of humor, great personality, and the fact that if I ever wanted to give him away ( ha ha) she'd like to be first in line....then she followed up with what a behavior problem he is becoming.....


So disheartening!!


Anyway, thanks for the cookies!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 03-03-2006 - 5:33pm

Katie

Sending along some hugs and Girls Scout Thin Mint cookies (they are only 35 calories each!) I hate days like that. It is a tough spot. On the one hand we want to hear good stuff, we hear to much of the bad sometimes. But I also want to honestly know how they are doing. I can't help and intervene if I don't.

I don't think anything is worse than hearing they are doing so great then to be hit with something that says they aren't. I had that experience this last fall. Mike was doing awesome in school compared to last year. I got good reports every day. I was so happy. To the teachers he was doing good compared to last year but still wasn't up to what is typical. I heard all the good stuff adn got my hopes up. Well at his IEP I had to listen to how he still wasn't ready for mainstreaming. How he shut down regularly, etc. Yes he has made loads of improvement but no he still is not typical.

ANyway, point being I hate those days when we get the bad news.

I totally understand what you mean on the PDD vs AS vs HFA thing. I see Mike as HFA but the doctors still insist that he is AS because he language wasn't delayed. Cait's language was delayed and presents more currently as a child with AS. Mike currently presents as a child with HFA. Last night when we were at a school activity and he was making his Whoop whoop noises, bouncing off the walls, continuously touching his brother, doing lines and being loud he certainly looked autistic.

Actually if I have to talk to anyone about him I just say that he is autistic, high functioning and very bright. Saves alot of explanation. For Cait I say AS.

Oh, on the one word picture vocabulary - you will appreciate this. I just got Cait's triennial assessmet plan and they want to do the 1 word picture vocabulary with her. She is in 6th grade mainstreamed in regular classes pulling mostly B's and C's. She has not had a vocabulary problem since about 5. So the reason would be.....? I still haven't heard back from the SLP why they wanted to do that.

Renee

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Registered: 08-26-2005
Fri, 03-03-2006 - 6:53pm
Katie,
(((HUGS)))
I don't have any great words of wisdom but I have had my fair share of those days!
Teresa